buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone)

Advice

Following a full submission

buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) is accepted for restricted use within NHS Scotland for substitution treatment for opioid drug dependence, within a framework of medical, social and psychological treatment.

In the pivotal trial buprenorphine/naloxone was superior to placebo and had similar efficacy and safety to buprenorphine. There are currently no published trials comparing buprenorphine/naloxone with methadone.

Buprenorphine/naloxone is restricted to those patients in whom methadone is not suitable and for whom the use of buprenorphine is considered appropriate.